Morrissey Talks Autobiography, Veg Diet, and Animal Rights

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In an exclusive new interview with The Phillipine Star, former Smiths frontman Morrissey discusses his upcoming autobiography, his long-time vegetarianism, and his staunch support of animal rights.

Famous not only for his lyrics, hairstyle, and voice, the musical legend is also an outspoken PETA supporter. In turn, he has been featured in a series of PETA’s “famous vegetarians” postage stamps, as well as honored as a recipient of their Linda McCartney Memorial Award at the group’s 25th anniversary gala in 2005.

Vegetarian since age 11, the soon-to-be 53 year old singer said, “It took me a long time to give up eggs, but I managed it. It’s all a moral question, and whether you approve or disapprove of cruelty. It has nothing to do with food since there are an abundance of alternatives to eating death.” He notes that his nephews, ages 28 and 21, have never tasted animal flesh. In earlier periods of human history, “animal flesh was probably all people could eat,” but “there’s no excuse or reason in 2012. Meat is violence and horror and death and cruelty,” he says. “Why put all of that inside your body?”

Morrissey also points out that instead of learning from the animal kingdom, humans, which are “rarely humane,” choose instead to shoot, gas, farm, and eat animals. Pollution, overpopulation, cancer, destruction, and wars are not started by animals, but by humans. “You can tell so much about a person by their treatment of animals,” he says. “A woman in a fur-coat might as well carry a sign saying ‘I am an idiot.’ How women — and it’s usually women — can wear fur, whilst knowing how it’s manufactured, is absolutely bewildering to me.”